UCSD loses a top scientist to USC

The University of Southern California, which has been on a recruiting tear lately, has hired one of UC San Diego's most esteemed biologists. Steve Kay is stepping down as dean of the UCSD School of Biological Sciences to become dean of USC's Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences.

Kay was elected to the elite National Academy of Sciences in 2008, and he's at least the fourth NAS member to be lured away from UCSD over the past year or so. But three UCSD professors were elected to the Academy today.

USC Provost Elizabeth Garrett said in a letter to some of the university's students, alumni and faculty that, "As a dean at UCSD, Dr. Kay led a large and dynamic academic division, with nearly 6,000 undergraduate biology majors, several hundred graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, and faculty spanning four major departments.

"As an academic leader, Dr. Kay has demonstrated a commitment to faculty excellence, recruiting exceptional new faculty members to the division including department chairs and center directors, members of the National Academy of Scientists, and many other distinguished and productive researchers. During the same period four significant new research centers were created spanning biomedical to environmental sciences."

Kay is a geneticist and plant biologist whose work, among other things, has helped explained the nature and workings of circadian rhythms. Some of that work was done while Kay served on the faculty of The Scripps Research Institute, across the street from UCSD. He also conducts genomics research that has helped with the development of therapeutic drugs.